People often enjoy seeing the creative process just as much as they enjoy the fruits of that process; in this instance, simple and sturdy traditional benches. This blog aims to provide you, the visitor (and customer) occasional glimpses of the doings, and the offerings, of my mountain-side shop.
In the area and want to take a look?" email me at museumofamerica@myactv.net. Benches will be available for sale starting May 15.

Friday, August 26, 2011

My young friend Heather is heading off to college and I wanted to make her a special going away gift, something unique that I knew she would really like.

A bookcase of a manageable size seemed just the ticket for all of her dictionaries, thesauri, style guides, etc. To make the whole thing perfect for her I would add a design element reflective of something that I know is dear to her heart.

More on that in a moment.

I also wanted to incorporate into the cabinet something dear to my heart and essential to any young person with a gifted imagination...

a secret compartment!

The design motif that I wanted to incorporate is Burnside Bridge at Antietam National Battlefield, where Heather and I have worked for several years now. The bridge is special to everyone but especially so to Heather.

This is Burnside Bridge one foggy morning as the mist rises up from Antietam Creek. These multi-arch, buttressed stone bridges typify Washington County Maryland, Some 32 of them were built between the 1820s and 1840s. All but six of those bridges are still open to traffic today.

I've modeled Burnside Bridge several times in the past, and the place I started this time was with the turning of the buttresses on my wood lathe.

This piece would be halved on my bandsaw to provide the two buttresses.

Here they are, glued to the bridge.

And here's the bridge clamped into place during the fitting process.

With a Rapidiograph pen and Prismacolor pencils I added the stonework. What you see is all drawn on a piece of poplar.

The bridge, along with the sloped side panels provides more book storage on the top surface.

I oversprayed the artwork with clear acrylic and applied cherry stain and spar varnish to the rest of the clear pine cabinet.

Surveying the results made me realize that one day when Heather has a friend help her move this book case the natural place to grab it would be by the bridge. And even though the bridge is screwed and glued into place, it seemed to me like an accident waiting to happen. I subsequently cut crescent-shaped hand-holds into the side panels about a third of the way down from the top, a perfect balance point.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

No sooner had I finished my Burnside Bridge bench than my wife Susan asked me if I'd make her a small bookshelf, very small in fact, something for bedside use. I was happy to comply. I chose to make her a bookcase and a valentine all in one. This was on Tuesday.

By Wednesday morning I had the carcass glued up. Made in select pine with no blemishes, the cutting, and assembley went like a dream. As usual the screws were hidden with pegs and a cherry stain was applied overall.

As with all of the smaller bookcases I'm making this one has ergonomic hand-holds cut into the sides for ease in moving it about.

To personalize it I designed an old-school Sailor Jerry-style tattoo on the top surface.

First, I inked it in with a Rapidiograph pen,

the ink flows nicely even on the stained surface.

Then I added color, as usual using Prismacolor pencils which are always a pleasure to use, the colow seems to flow on, is very controllable, it saturates and blends like a dream.

The results were very gratifying, this is the valentine part I was referring to.

As usual, the unit was glued, clamped and screwed with pegs flush-cut to cover the screws.

I cut the hand-holds in more of a novel shape this time.

Three coats of Spar varnish and it was ready for delivery.

Two and a half days from concept to finished product,
The customer was very pleased!

Every time I work in my shop my mind frequently turns to the three most influential people in getting me into that milieu of machinery and sawdust: My father, my friend Roger, and my shop teacher Mr. Hauck.

He was a patient. precise, and kind man, who brooked no foolishness in his woodshop classes.

In his classroom safety was paramount, and I don't recall a single injury under his tenure. He eschewed lazy sanding and rewarded persistence.

I only took two classes from him; Shop I in my freshman year (1967), and Mechanical Drawing I in my senior year (1970). Looking back, I have a tinge of regret at not taking more of his classes.

I'll always have a real appreciation for the men who have taught me the happiness, and satisfaction that can be found where metal (and sandpaper!) contacts wood.

About Me

I'm fortunate to have married the love of my life. In that, I am a very lucky fellow. Otherwise I live in Washington County in western Maryland in a little house on the shoulder of South Mountain.
Other stuff from me here: http://manniesartimitateslife.blogspot.com/